Wuppertal, Germany - The boys at Manhart usually pass their time by souping up cars like the BMW M8, but the German tuner’s latest project is at the very other end of the size scale.
Meet the Manhart GP3 F350 - and yes, that name does make sense once you crunch the numbers. It starts life as a John Cooper Works GP, which with 225kW and 450Nm on command, is already Mini’s most potent car. But Manhart has managed to extract 257kW, or 350 horsepower if you want the F350 name to make sense, while maximum torque has been increased by 80 newtons to 530Nm.
So what did Manhart do to BMW’s 2-litre turbopetrol motor? The tuner says it has installed an Airtech intercooler, while the ECU has been remapped by Dutch Mini specialist Beek Auto Racing. The upgrade also includes a replacement pipe for the gasoline particulate filter and a Manhart cat-back exhaust system, manufactured by Remus. Thanks to a four-stage flap control, the latter allows for an even more enthralling soundtrack.
But this is only the beginning, says Mahnart.
The tuner says there are currently several other engine stage upgrades in the final phase of development. To that end, a carbon intake as well as downpipes and other exhaust systems are coming soon, although no output figures have been mentioned as yet.
Since the German tuner already had sufficient confidence in the JCW GP’s standard chassis, suspension mods are for now limited to springs by AST Suspension, which lower the car by a further 20mm at the front and 15mm at the back. However, ATS is currently developing a full range of coil-over suspension options for the Mini.